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The Philadelphia Phillies have plenty of blame to share for their season ending at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS.
Orion Kerkering collapsed in the most embarrassing of ways to allow the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning. Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper all came up empty in huge late at-bats. Jhoan Duran walked in the tying run in the seventh inning.
But there’s a good chance that none of that would have happened had MLB umpire Mark Wegner done his job properly.
Cristopher Sánchez said the umpire apologized to him for missing this call.
Alex Call went on to score the tying run after he walked on the next pitch.
(Via: @Lochlahn)pic.twitter.com/exLM2si1UA
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 10, 2025
Umpire Mark Wegner Apologized To Christopher Sanchez For Ending Phillies’ Season
Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez, who had developed into one of the league’s best starting pitchers and will likely finish as the runner-up to Paul Skenes in the National League Cy Young race, was dominant through 6 1/3 innings.
Sanchez then appeared to strike out Dodgers’ seven-hole hitter Alex Call for the second out of the seventh inning, but Wegner completely blew the third strike call. Sanchez, a normally unflappable character, stared down the ump after the call.
Instead, Call went on to walk and, after a Kike Hernandez single, Sanchez was pulled from the game with two on and one out in the seventh. Duran then came in and got the second out of the inning before a bases-loaded walk to Mookie Betts tied the game.
Who knows how things go? But it’s easy to see a world where if Wegner makes the correct call, Sanchez finishes the inning and Duran comes in to start a clean eighth inning and works a six-out save.
Instead, LA tied the game and won it in extras.
Cristopher Sánchez said the umpire apologized to him for missing the 2-2 pitch to Alex Call in the seventh. What should have been a strikeout became a walk, and that runner went on to score the tying run.
— Lochlahn March (@lochlahn) October 10, 2025
Sanchez told reporters after the game that Wegner apologized to him for the blown call.
Gee, thanks.
Wegner isn’t the first umpire to blow a big call in the MLB playoffs, and he won’t be the last. He’s also not the sole reason Philadelphia lost. But he played a big part. And it’s embarrassing that umpires can play such a big role in the outcome of huge games and get away with just saying “ah, my bad,” because umpires never face actual consequences for their screw ups.
His mistake, and the subsequent “aww, shucks” reaction, show just how badly Major League Baseball needs the automated balls and strikes system that will be implemented next season. Unfortunately for Philly, that does them no good right now.